


Blue in the Dark

by radokami



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Travel, You died but she's better now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radokami/pseuds/radokami
Summary: The long, meandering travels of a sailor and the god who kept her from death. Mutual fascination to ensue.
Relationships: Tsushima Yoshiko/Watanabe You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a little different. Self-edited, as close to stream of consciousness as I can manage, and arbitrarily long. I have no schedule or plan for this, I intend to use it as an outlet when I can't write anything else. So if it comes out rougher than usual, that's why. Also, I think this might be the most flowery thing I've published. Sorry about that.

Charon could write novels about their time ferrying souls across Styx. So, so many novels.

And they’d all be boring as hell.

How many years had it been? How long watching the same cast of commoners, heroes, demigods, and so on cross through their transient plane? How long had it taken to tire of small talk with the bare proportion of souls that could still think? How long spent watching helplessly as the world’s population steadily ramped up, then exploded? How long spent devising a way around all this gods-damned _work?_ How long spent sitting, alone and barely present, on the riverbank as their perfectly optimized system sent souls on their way in short order?

How many years had Charon spent kicking themself when they realized a bridge would’ve worked just as well?

Time hardly had any meaning to begin with. It was as fake as any other word the humans came up with. But still, Charon felt a sense of being passed by, left behind. Maybe that old boat had one last voyage left in it. One way, of course.

The river could tend to itself. Probably.

Charon resisted the urge this time to wonder how long it took to make this decision. It was, after all, decided. _Watch the river, now. Pay attention. Talk to somebody, if you still remember Greek, or whatever language people speak these days. English?_

* * *

Enthusiasm was starting to wane.

At first, it was minimally entertaining to relearn all those languages the souls would show up speaking. But their stories were the same as ever. War, sickness, disaster, and none with any _life_ left in them. Was it too much to ask that a dead soul not act so… _dead_ for once? Even the ones that didn’t realize they were dead at first wound up wailing and incoherent after discovering their fate. Nobody had any impulse to _resist._ What _was_ the natural order here, anyway? Charon hardly knew.

It was getting hard to pay attention again, it all blurred together so well. Still gray, cloudy, gloomy. Dead. Oh, every now and then the clouds might part, reveal a pale moon or cold sun, but it never had any import anymore. Probably just the gods having some fun.

 _Fun._ Now there was a good word. Made up, like them all, but it had spirit in it. Basically the opposite of this place.

* * *

Sunlight. Warm, colorful. Not like usual.

Something was happening. Charon had all but lost hope, but here it was. _Something.  
_

A soul approached. Oh, now this had to be _somebody._ Charon couldn’t remember the last time someone brought this much fanfare with them. Was there even a last time?

A figure strode up to the riverbank all but casually, not proud like a fallen warrior or sullen like one cut down before their time. Slightly short, muscular, ashy shoulder length hair. In uniform? Maybe, but no uniform Charon had seen before. This was, well… mildly interesting. Charon approached, and the figure sensed their presence and leveled a gaze in their direction. _Vibrant_ blue eyes - the sunshine was flattering - open wide not in apparent fear, but curiosity.

“You’re not who I was looking for.” Japanese. Their bright, clear voice was unusual for one passing through this place. They scanned the surroundings, and Charon in turn. “Where am I? Who are you?”

“Many call me Charon.” They paused, waiting for a reaction. Nothing. “I ferry the dead across the river Styx.”

There was the dawning realization on this figure’s face. Not enough to break them yet, though. They stood silent for a moment, gathering thoughts. “Wait, so… how did I end up here? Last thing I remember, I was following the sound of someone singing. It was _beautiful._ I almost made it…”

Oh. “And where did you hear this song?”

“I was… way out at sea. No idea where it could have been coming from, but I just couldn’t ignore it.”

 _Oh. Yeah._ “You were drowned by a siren. Sorry to break it to you.” Charon actually kind of meant it this time.

The figure’s response was not shock, or bleak resignation, but to raise one hand behind their head and giggle bashfully. “Ah, yep. Figured that was bound to happen someday.” What was with this person? It was like they didn’t even care that they were dead!

 _Like they were alive,_ even if only in a small way.

That was it. In an instant, Charon had made up their mind beyond any convincing, coercion, or compulsion otherwise. This soul was important. Too important to send on their way.

“So you’re a sailor?”

“Aye-aye! Captain You Watanabe at your service!” 

_You._ That was a feminine name, right? Charon had yet to fully wrap their mind around that whole gender business. More human nonsense, probably.

You saluted Charon, still none too concerned about being dead, it seemed. Yes, she was the one.

“Alright, Captain You Watanabe. Care to go on another voyage?” Charon gestured to their boat with a dramatic flair before realizing their meaning might not have been obvious. “I mean, not to the underworld or anything. I’ve been meaning to leave this place myself.”

“You wanna leave?” You was visibly puzzled. “Isn’t this, like, your job?”

“Maybe you didn’t notice, but this place runs fine without my input.” Charon gestured to the droves of souls crossing the river on their own as the two spoke. “I lead a very boring existence.”

You’s eyes started to light up, even as the gap in the clouds started to close. “So… you bail, I go with you, and what? We just… sail forever?”

“We’ll certainly have forever if you want it. And while I may not be the best navigator, I’m sure I could show you a few places you’ve never even dreamed about.”

“Hmm, and I guess I’ll navigate the rest of the time then?” You weighed her options. It clearly had to be eternity _somewhere,_ and she could likely conceive of no better afterlife than one spent on the high seas. “Alright, then. Let’s do it!”

Yes. _Yes. Finally._ “Very well then, mortal. Board my boat with me, and we’ll see where we end up.”

You saluted once more. “Aye-aye, captain, uh… What was your name again?”

“Charon.”

“Kero… n? That sounds kinda funny, can I call you something different?”

“You may n-” Actually, maybe it would be better to leave that name behind. It could be a title. Maybe someday there could even be a new Charon. “You may, um, call me whatever you wish.”

You spent just a few moments thinking about it before offering a suggestion. “How about Yoshiko?”

 _Yoshiko._ Another feminine name. “Why Yoshiko?”

“You just seem like one to me. A good person, you know?”

“Because I’m not sending you off to the underworld.”

“Yeah, basically. Plus it’s a cute name! I don’t know if cute’s your thing, but it totally could be! If you, like, drop the creepy robe and all that.”

You’s bright smile made it impossible to say no. “Very well then, You. _Yoshiko_ it is.”

Yoshiko eyed the horizon upriver, against the current. It was the way that the odd living soul would take to get here, so that must be the way out. Unsure how much force it would take to overcome that current but ready to fight tooth and nail, Yoshiko took up - her? - pole and set off with You back to the world of the living.

At last.

The current wasn’t nearly as rough as Yoshiko had predicted - had it really been so long as to forget what it felt like? It was a relief, though. Despite the overwhelming silence from the rest of the pantheon over the past few centuries, Yoshiko foresaw another obstacle before she and You could be truly free.

As if on cue, a voice rang out from every direction at once before they had even made it out of sight of the river crossing.

“Where are you going, Charon.” Odd, Yoshiko thought she remembered Hades’ voice being a lot deeper. Just as deadpan as ever, though.

“So _now_ you decide to check in,” Yoshiko muttered, rapidly calculating how to get Hades off her back for the time being. “I’m returning this one to the surface,” she called out, gesturing to You.

“This… dead soul?”

“Does she look dead to you? Look at her!”

You gave as lively a wave as she could manage, not looking anywhere in particular, maintaining her casual demeanor with apparent ease. Yoshiko could only hope Hades hadn’t been paying attention as the two of them talked through You’s death.

Hades was silent for a time, presumably mulling the question over. At last, a reply came. “Just don’t be too long, Charon.”

“Yoshiko,” she corrected under her breath, just loud enough for You to catch it and give an enthusiastic thumbs up. The name was surprisingly easy to don, but then the riverbank was also easy to leave behind. Time to go.

As the boat lurched uneasily upriver, the sky was gradually obscured by a thick tangle of dead and dying tree branches. It was even darker in this liminal space between liminal spaces, making the crossing at Styx seem inviting in retrospect. Yoshiko and You passed through in tense silence, pleading that nothing else would hinder them, tilting at every buck of the current on their vessel, hoping to soon hear sounds of life above the flowing water.

Slowly, the uncanny tunnel of trees turned from black to brown and green, and golden sunlight played on top of the water in the distance. _The land of the living._ The sight of it seemed to make You relax, but Yoshiko couldn’t until they were all the way there. She guided the boat against the current as fast as she could, bottlenecked more by the unwieldy length of the pole than any lack of strength on her part. Over her deep breaths, she began to hear the calls of birds and insects coming from outside. They were so close now that the light on the water’s surface was almost blinding.

And blinding it was as Yoshiko mustered her strength and propelled the boat out into the world, warm and sunny and probably heartbreakingly beautiful when she could open her eyes again. 

You let loose an emphatically satisfied sigh. “I’d say it’s been too long, but it feels like I was just here. Well, here as in, uh, Earth…” She trailed off, presumably taking in the surroundings. “Uh, where are we now, Yoshiko?”

A vaguely familiar scene filtered into Yoshiko’s vision as she opened her eyes and they adjusted to the light. They sat in a verdant valley, farmland mostly. Though the fields weren’t the most inspiring, the warm sunlight, gentle breeze, and vague assortment of aromas signifying _life_ were enough. They’d made it.

“We’re in…” Yoshiko tried to remember where the Styx was in the mortal world. “Greece! That’s it.”

“ _Greece?_ ” You’s eyes widened as she collected herself. “You weren’t lying about showing me new places, huh?”

 _No kidding._ Yoshiko looked behind them for the tunnel they emerged from and, as expected, saw nothing - just more river winding through more field, some trees lining the banks but never weaving together into the absolute cover from before. The current was suggesting they head back in that direction, and Yoshiko saw little point in arguing. It’d probably lead them to the sea, and then You could steer them in the right direction. Probably.

So the tiny, ancient boat turned to follow the current, leaving Yoshiko to mind just the occasional bend in the river. She only now noticed how tense her shoulders were and, with a sigh attempting to mirror You’s, tried to truly relax for the first time in… a while. The scenery helped, everything in view bright and lush and _alive,_ filling her with an unusual sort of energy that she hardly recognized.

She was free. You was alive. _Anything was possible now._

Yoshiko ignored the specter of Hades lingering in her mind and followed the river to its end.


	2. The Real World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while. I honestly started to waver with regards to whether I ever wanted to continue this project, but a good friend of mine talked me back into being enthusiastic for it. So it feels really good to have finished this. Again, no promises for how long the next chapter will take, but I am at least more into this than I used to be.

A wider expanse of water stretched out in front of Yoshiko and You, lapping against the shore on either side of them and their tiny craft as if to entice them further. Yoshiko maintained a death grip on the pole, keeping them in place as she considered the deeper and, further out, choppier water before them. This wasn’t the first time she had departed the underworld, but she couldn’t recall the last time she’d made it this far, and now that the sea faced her she could only guess whether her old boat could survive out there. She’d lost track of time again.

“Are we gonna try it?” You’s voice broke the silence out of the blue. “I’m not sure about this boat, but taking it out to sea wouldn’t exactly be the weirdest thing I’ve done today.”

“Good point,” Yoshiko had to admit. It had been a day of snap decisions so far, why not maintain the theme? “Want to see how far we get?”

“Just for, uh, good measure, what happens if this thing can’t handle going out that far?”

“Well, I’d like to think that a sailor and a god wouldn’t be in much danger of drowning,” Yoshiko scoffed. “Worst case scenario, we might have to dodge Hades a second time.”

“Oh, that’s all? Let’s go then!”

You shouted away the quaver in her voice and gave the pole just enough of a push to break Yoshiko out of her daze. It hit the bottom once, twice, deeper and sludgier each time, until the craft reached water too open for it.

Yoshiko sucked in a tense breath through gritting teeth before trying the pole one more time, and, miraculously, feeling the shock in her hands as it struck a solid surface. Harder, more like stone. Over and over, never slipping or missing its mark even as the water grew rougher and deeper by the second. And the sigh of relief came. Even as a minor, all but forgotten god, Yoshiko could bend the rules.

Just how much was now the question.

“So this is gonna work for now, yeah?” You had shaken her awe at the slightly magical boat and reclaimed the boundless energy of when she first saw the sun. “Where to, captain?”

Now that _was_ the question, wasn’t it? A whole world at their fingertips, and only a scant few of the places Yoshiko knew well enough were far from Greece. Fewer still beyond the Mediterranean. But this was where the magic happened, back in the age of gods and heroes and myths. Surely there were still traces to be uncovered, so long as Yoshiko knew where to look.

But first things first. The Styx had spit them out in the Gulf of Corinth, so realistically they’d have to pass through its namesake in order to access the rest of Greece. With a canal right next to the city, it would be easy to simply pass through, but You _was_ technically alive now. They’d need some supplies before moving on.

“We follow the coastline to the next city. I’m sure you’re hungry after your visit to the underworld?”

“Am I?” You considered it for a beat, then her stomach growled to answer for her. “Yeah, I guess it has been a lifetime, huh?”

“You’re… not wrong.” Yoshiko suppressed a chuckle in spite of herself. Going so long without laughing could make anything funny, it seemed. “To Corinth, then.”

* * *

It must have been spring, because even with the sun beating down on them, the heat never grew oppressive as Yoshiko and You meandered along the Peloponnese coastline. Most passersby were motorists, but occasionally a pedestrian on the beach would notice and wave at Yoshiko’s ancient little boat, and You would take care to wave back every time. The attention was a new sensation. It had been too long since Yoshiko had been up here last, long enough to forget the ineffable, buzzing energy of life around her.

Each past voyage to the mortal world had been so quick, so businesslike, so as not to get too accustomed to this feeling. This time Yoshiko was going to acclimate, no matter how overwhelming the prospect seemed.

Fortunately, Corinth wasn’t the largest city in the world. A good place to start, to be sure. So Yoshiko steeled herself for more human interaction as the modest, modern buildings crept closer. The sidewalks weren’t so bustling, the marina not so packed, so Yoshiko managed to guide the boat to an empty berth with no fuss.

You stepped onto the dock with a ritualistic sigh, clearly not tired of the water but ready to explore the land all the same. Yoshiko followed as nonchalantly as she could manage, draped in a tattered black robe as she was. Maybe she could stand to pick up a change of clothes while they were here.

Before Yoshiko could get a word in, You caught sight of something and ran off to investigate. Probably the statue by the marina.

Sure enough, Yoshiko’s measured pace brought her back to You, who was staring in moderate, touristy awe at an old, green pegasus rearing up in the center of a fountain. The whole construction had little height to it, but the mountains in the distance provided a sense of vertical scale and made the thing a proper sight. Surely, to a mortal, it must have looked like the creature had just descended from those heights to herald something greater.

Yoshiko could distantly recall when that statue was untarnished bronze, gleaming in the sunlight from sky and sea. More distantly still, hearing talk of the real thing. But she had never been privileged to meet it, not even in death. All this time, Yoshiko had seen only a sliver of what the other gods were afforded. And as fake as time felt, she couldn’t help but lament that so much of it had passed before she finally decided to leave. But none of them had what she had.

“This statue isn’t really that interesting, is it?” You mused, eyes wandering back to Yoshiko. “I guess I’m just excited to be here.”

“You know, I think I am too. But we stopped here for a reason. How are you with Greek food?”

* * *

“Grilled meat skewers, basically.” Yoshiko gestured to the food stall they had managed to locate after a few minutes of aimless wandering. “Pretty easy to carry around if you want to keep exploring.”

“And they’re called… what, again?” You’s face scrunched up with the effort of pronouncing it.

“Souvlaki.” Maybe Yoshiko would have to give her a crash course in Greek. And every other language, eventually.

“Okay, I’ll try, uh, one of those.”

After a moment of scanning the menu at the stall, Yoshiko remembered something - money. That was still a thing mortals used, wasn’t it? It had been a while since she had personally collected the toll at Styx, but she hastily searched her person for any remainders from that time. Eventually, she managed to produce a small handful of ancient, tarnished coins from a pocket she forgot she had. But they were Greek coins, so she resolved to try her luck.

“Um, two, please,” she muttered, worried less about niceties and more about how out of place she and You must have looked, and placed the coins on the stall as nonchalantly as she could.

The lone worker at the stand grunted in acknowledgement, absently reaching for the coins but stopping to do a double take when his eyes reached them.

“These don’t look like euros,” he muttered, eyebrows bunching together. He looked to be formulating a follow-up as he glanced towards Yoshiko, but could only manage a quiet, shallow gasp when he met her gaze.

“Oh, that’s… my mistake,” Yoshiko’s hand returned to the billowing folds of her robe, searching for another pocket with more recent currency, but all the while the color faintly drained from the worker’s face. Was she really so recognizable, even after all this time?

“Actually, don’t worry about it, these are on the house,” he interrupted with a quick about face, pausing to collect himself before turning back around with two steaming skewers. He now wore a nervous smile.

“Thanks, I guess,” Yoshiko replied, accepting them and passing one to You. Puzzled over the interaction, she turned to leave without another word. Maybe new clothes were more important than she’d thought.

“Thanks!” You added in Japanese, giving a salute before turning to walk alongside Yoshiko. Before attempting a conversation, she took a bite off her skewer and snapped her eyes shut to savor the taste of it. She clearly recognized the importance of this, the first meal of her new life.

Yoshiko nibbled at hers much more slowly, not in any particular hurry for nourishment. She tried to recall if she had ever known the layout of Corinth, but nothing far beyond the marina came to her. She elected to turn and wander the streets until a clothing store came along. That would give You enough time to eat, at least.

“So,” You piped up, about halfway through her meal and dutifully following Yoshiko as they wandered the sidewalks. “What was with that guy back there? Kinda seemed like he was scared of you or something.”

“I think he may have recognized me… as Charon.” Yoshiko hoped that the old name would grow more distant with time, but hearing it still stirred something in her chest. Enough to render her silent for a moment.

You was too busy eating to fill the silence, but made a show of furrowing her brow in response. Yoshiko pointedly ignored the doubt creeping onto You’s face. Surely the myths were still handed down around here, whether or not someone from the other side of the world recognized them.

“This outfit likely doesn’t help. We should find some new clothes, I think.”

“Ooh, I love clothes shopping!” You absentmindedly clapped her hands together, almost sending the rest of her food sailing across the street. Noticing this, an oncoming pedestrian crossed over to the opposite sidewalk in something of a hurry. “Guess _I_ scared that one away, huh?”

“Could be,” Yoshiko mused, eyes still scanning storefronts as the pair walked. Surely, there had to be at least one clothing store nearby. “Seems like they’re all keeping a wide berth, though.”

“Well, if you’re as important as you say you are… maybe the people around here _do_ recognize you?”

“Hm, so just a new outfit might not be enough.” Pulled out of the melancholia from before, Yoshiko followed this thread as far as she could. “Disguises it is, then.”

“I was just kidding!” You gave a hearty laugh and a friendly slap on Yoshiko’s back, anchors for the god adrift. “But now that you mention it, a whole new look might not be a bad idea. Oh! I could give you a makeover to go with your new clothes! If you’ll let me.”

“I think I will.” Even if You was joking, Yoshiko would surely be well served by distancing herself entirely from the old trappings of Charon. More motivated than ever, she scanned the street and at last her eyes landed on a small, unassuming boutique. Perfect.

She led You through the door and into a cozy, brightly lit store, crammed just short of bursting with racks of clothes. Only the shirts hanging from the wall were even remotely readable at a glance, all the rest were packed together too closely. Sleeves and skirts brushed against Yoshiko’s arms no matter how she moved. This was perfect, plenty of options. If only she knew where to start.

You quickly overtook Yoshiko, somehow ducking around a rack to pass her and start rifling through the immense volume of clothing in the store. Every few moments, she would pull a new article from one of the racks - a dress, a jacket, a pair of shorts - to admire it before returning it and browsing on. Whatever look she was aiming for remained a mystery as well.

“You,” Yoshiko began quietly, “I, um, have no idea what I’m doing. Help me pick something out?”

“Oh,” You backed out from a circle of racks, still empty-handed. “Good idea. So, we definitely need functional clothes if we’re going to be out at sea for a while. But, considering the way you’re already dressed, maybe we have some wiggle room. Do you think skirts are your thing?”

“I… suppose so?” Yoshiko was hardly certain, but her robe was comfortable enough.

“Okay, let me find a few things, and you can try them on.” With that, You disappeared into a thicket of racks, leaving only the sound of hangers sliding back and forth as proof of her passage. Before Yoshiko had time to take in her surroundings further, she re-emerged, both arms full of clothes in various shapes and colors. “Here, let’s find the fitting rooms.”

Yoshiko followed her companion, a bulky mass of fabric that pushed aside the contents of racks as it slowly, inexorably made its way to the back of the shop. Not wanting to give herself away more than she already had, she let You do the talking in tentative, shaky English, followed her into a dressing room, and found herself left alone to go through the massive selection You had pulled for her.

With no sense of how to sort it all out, she tried things on in the order they appeared to her, pausing briefly to examine her reflection in the mirror each time. Ignoring her unkempt mass of hair, she could appreciate how cute some of the outfits were. Short, ruffled skirts, form-fitting t-shirts with deep necks - You was set on a femme look, clearly. The short skirts were a bit revealing, though. Maybe something to try later.

At last, she encountered something inviting. A dress that went a little further down, to about her knees. Black, of course, with white embellishments - notably, pockets that looked like stylized cat faces. That was cute, right? At any rate, Yoshiko felt comfortable in it. It was a familiar color, a familiar feeling, just a bit more… pedestrian. Yes, this was the one.

She emerged from the fitting room in the dress to find You waiting with her own pile of clothes. You’s eyes lit up when she saw Yoshiko, shining just like when she arrived by the Styx.

“That’s so cute, Yoshiko! I knew cute would suit you.” If her hands weren’t full, she’d probably be posing proudly.

Either way, You’s pride and satisfaction were contagious. All at once, they overtook Yoshiko, along with a comfort unlike anything before. An enthusiasm for being that had departed from the banks of the Styx long before Yoshiko herself. It was such a small thing, this new outfit, but it was _her_ in a way nothing to do with Charon had been in a very long time.

She smiled. That was new.

“I guess I’ll head in there and try my stuff on,” You offered. “Don’t go anywhere.”

With that, You vanished into the very same fitting room, leaving Yoshiko alone for the moment. After a few restless moments she turned a corner to find another mirror and admire herself in silence. The outfit felt better on her with each passing minute, the only thing even a little out of place being her hair. She’d have to take You up on the makeover suggestion.

“Oh, how _pretty!_ ” An unfamiliar voice rang out from behind Yoshiko, startling her out of the absorbing effect of the mirror. “Did you find that here?”

Yoshiko turned to see a new face, soft features framed by blonde hair, striking golden eyes looking into hers, inscrutable.

“Y-yes,” Yoshiko managed, still somewhat taken aback by this person’s forwardness after everyone else in town had been so skittish around her. “My, uh, companion found it for me, so I couldn’t tell you exactly where it came from, sorry.”

“Oh, that’s fine, I’m prepared to hunt.” The stranger’s eyes wandered to the first of many cramped displays surrounding the two of them, smile widening by the second. “It’s something of a ritual for me. I’m sure you understand.”

“I… can’t say I do.” What was this person talking about, _winking at her_ about?

“Well, you sure looked like you did, staring into the mirror like that. Like you were looking at a whole new person, no?”

Yoshiko felt her eyes widen in understanding. It wasn’t exactly a revelation, but it was maybe a tick above the small talk she expected from a random clothes shopper.

“That’s why I love it here,” the stranger continued, eyes returning to Yoshiko. “I swear they must shuffle around the inventory once a week, because every time I come by, I find something new. A new mask, a new skin, a new role to play.”

“You uh, take this pretty seriously then.” Far be it from Yoshiko to be afraid of a mere mortal, but she felt a tension creeping through her chest all the same. Where was You?

“Of course I do! What kind of actor would I be otherwise?”

“...Actor?” Yoshiko sighed her relief as discreetly as she could.

“Among other things.” A furtive smile crept onto the stranger’s face, completely unreadable in its intentions. “And this is my favorite place to shop for costumes!”

“Well, I… think I can see why,” Yoshiko muttered, eyes wandering back to her reflection in the mirror. A whole new person. Her own person.

As if she had been waiting for just such a lull in the conversation, it was then that You emerged from the dressing room sporting a pair of short jean shorts, a sleeveless blue top with subtle white stripes, and a wide-brimmed sunhat.

“Alright, Yoshiko, what do you think?” You announced herself, posing in her new outfit, apparently oblivious to Yoshiko’s conversation partner.

_Cute._

“Wow, you’re adorable!” The stranger blurted out - in perfectly fluent Japanese - while Yoshiko struggled to find the words.

“Aw, thanks.” You blushed, but was already visibly more relaxed just getting to speak her native language. “Who’s your friend here, Yoshiko?”

“You can call me Mari,” the stranger responded, still leaving Yoshiko on the periphery of the exchange. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise! I’m You, and I guess you’ve already met Yoshiko.”

“I have, though she keeps getting lost in her own reflection. You might have to break her out yourself.”

“Can do!” You gave a dutiful salute and strode over to Yoshiko, turning her away from the mirror. “I’m glad you found something you like so much, but we still need to go get your hair done. So let’s get going, yeah?”

“...Yeah,” Yoshiko finally managed. “I uh, like your outfit too.”

You’s blush returned. Still, she didn’t miss a beat as she turned to say goodbye to Mari, only to be met with empty aisles. Must have run off quietly, oh well.

With little else to say, they made their way to the counter to… pay for their clothes, oh no, not this again. Yoshiko shuddered for a moment as she contemplated re-enacting the bit from the food stand earlier, but her worries were allayed quite simply by the clerk there.

“That Mari went ahead and paid for you two, so you’re all set!”

Yoshiko was both humbled by Mari’s generosity and completely vexed by Mari herself. What an interesting person, and what a shame they’d likely never meet again. But there was nothing to be done about that, really. All Yoshiko and You could do was leave the way they came, and set out for their next destination - a salon brave enough to tame Yoshiko’s hair.


End file.
